Concentrator



Nov. 8, 1927.

A. H. STEBBINS CONCENTRATOR Filed July2. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY Nov. 8, 1927. 1,648,285

A. H. STEBBINS CONCENTRATOR Filed July 2, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 TTORN Y CONCENTRATOR Filed July 2, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I I v Q I I x A TTO ENE Y Q downward slope in an d'i'r'ection tod'ire'ct the Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

ear an; STMEES ALBERT'H. sr'nBisr'ns, or, nos.AeeEnE cAmFoRmh' reta ler ooNoENrnAToR;

Application fi1ed any a, 192s. Serialnor 120,217."

deck surface slope-upwardly toward the con-- centrate wall: to direct the concentrates away from the lower side of the deck aszthey travel along the riflles. In other Words, the

construction ofth'e concentrator decks now extensively used is such that the rifil'es' extend diagonally over thed'eck surface to-' Ward the concentrate Wall at an inclination" to the path ofde'ck' movement and the con' centratesare forced against and along the guiding ri'fiies by the deck movement.-

T'he construction of the presentinvention' differs from that'abov'e mentioned in that in the present'constru'ction" the" concentrates are not forced against the side Wall of the chan= nel over'whi' ch thetailings escape as heretofore; but are iorcedaway from thi's'side of" the channel;

One important feature of thepresent in vention thereforeresidesm a concentrator deck havingthe riflies or channels arranged so that they extend across the pathot d'e'ck movement in a direction to cause themovement to Work the concentrates-away from the discharge side'of the channels; 7

Another feature of the invention r'esides' in the constructionof the' ch ann'el's' whereby the floor portion ofe'ach channel is given a materials in the channel" away from the discharge side thereof 3 its a result-of'the features just'mentioned;

th concentrates traveling slung a channel will Work down underthe tailing away from the discharge side of the channel While the 'tailings displaced by the-concentrates are forced upwardly and toward the discharge 1 side of the channel. It is desira'hl'e to crowd J these tailings out of the channels, and 'an other feature of the inventionresidesin the construction whereby the size of the chan nels is gradually decreased in the direction in which the m aterials"travel. Asi a result the tailing-s aregradually forced laterally out of the channel's, thus effecting the ,de'-

sired separation of the material's:-

@t-her; features of the invention; and-novel) comblnatlon of parts in addition totheabove-d Will be'hereinaft'er deseribedin connection With the accompanying drawings ;,Wh;i,ch; i;l-, lustrate good practical terms otthe' nvenri tion. o

In the drawixigsizf estates;

Fig.4 is; a plan view of a tarble column;-

trator provided Witha cleckyconstructdkigi accordance: with the present" invention j;

Fig, 2; is aside elevation. o-f the hablegfifll centrator; of Fig; 1

Fig. 3 on an enlarged sc'ale iseagsectionalview taken on the-line 3'3 of Fig; 1; a V

Fig; 4 is an'vend vieW: of the materials-dist 1 charge end of thedeck shoWnimFig. 1*; q

Fig. 5: is a'pverspectiv'e View of all-modified deck construction embodying teatures of the-;

present invention Fig; 6 is a; sectional View takenort thejline Fig. 7 is a top plan view: of a: deckrshapedr the same as in Fig. 5 but shows thedeck';

surface" as provided with grooved/channels in place of the IlfiiSOf Flg. 5; r v i Fig. 8=isa perspective viewf'of anpoitionk of the decksur'face of. Fig.- 1', showing: the

construction" of I one of the channels;

deck of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 9 is a similarviewof azportion ofithe-J Fig. 10 isa transverse sectional nview through another modified deckconstructi'dn-. v In the embodiment of'the' invention shown; inF-i'gs; l toe inclusive the concentrator deck 10 is mounted upon the carriage 11 Which-s carriage is" sup-ported byva trame-ofany? ill) suitable: construction so that the carriage may: be moved back and'fort-h in therdirec tion of'its length. v

The d'e'cle supporting formed of the uprights 12 to which the 10m gitudinally extending! rails are' secured,

and the carriagell is: supportedwu'pon the:

frame for movement inrthe direction of'its lengthby the loalls' or rollersv l kwhich;aide:v

frame E shownis w mounted 'in'tli'e grooved hearing blocks securedto the supporting-frame; and" the:

upper portion of each ball enters a similarly grooved bearing block 16 secured to under face of the carriage'."

The concentrator deck 10 is supportedat a transverse inclinationfas usuai, andtoxthisi endone side of] the concentrator dec-leis sei q cured to the' carriage 11' by the hinges1*1'7' While the opposite sidef of the deck-is sup-i Ill) ported spaced: relation tothe carriagei loy is employed in eifecting theseparation'of the materials upon the deck surface, air under pressuremay bedelivered to the air chamberof the 'deckby the fani21, the

discharge portion of which fan is connected ill to the hood 22 leading to the chamber- 20 below the deck surface.

-As above stated, one of the important features oft-the presentinvention resides in the construction of the channels provided upon the decksurfacei These channels 23, as shown in Figs; 1 to 4 inclusive, are formed by giving the deck surface'thc' stepped construction best shown in-Fig. 3, wherein it will beseen that-each channel has a floor portion 24 and ang'upstanding wall 25, and it should be noted that in thefCOnStIllCtlOl'l shown in Fig. 3the floor portion 24 of each channel slopes in a downward direction to- Wards the upstanding portion 25 of its chan nel. In other words, the slope of each floor portion .24 'is such that the materials will vtend to slide across the floor portion under the influence of gravity away from the lower side" of the deck; this construction is desirablef as it tends to work the concentrates away-from. the discharge side'of each channel." f

. The channels 23 are preferably so con-" structed that they-gradually deorea e in width and in depth in thedirection in which the materials travel along the same, This is desirable "because by forming the channels so that they grow more shallow as they ap proach the discharge end of the deck. they gradually: crowd out the lighter materials or tailings which have been displaced by the concentrates lying near the bottom of the channels. The formation ofthe channels23 is such that: the material'receivi-ng surfaces 26 arefprovided near the discharge end of the channels, and the width of these surfaces 26,-as will be apparent from the drawings, is gradually increasedin the direction in which the materials travel; along the channels. J

The upper side-of the deck 10 is'preferably provided wit-ha concentrate wall :27 having'the usual 'bulferblocks 28 against which the concentrates are directed by .the channels terminating along this wall; the arrangement being such that .thematerials,

directed against the concentrate wall hythe channels 1wi-ll work downwardly under the influence of the ClBClQIDCllIIELtlOII from' one channelto another for retreatment. At the lower side of the deck may be provided the usual inclined wall QQWhiClrQXthds in a,

diagonal directionfrom the feed hopper 19 to thel'ower or. discharge sideof the deck. It may be found desirable to feed the materials to the portion of the deck surface lying adjacent the'feed hopper in sufficient quantity to cause the materials to fill up the channels and to pileup to some extent upon the'deck surface, in which case it rittle or wall 30; jTh-eseriftles may extend lengthwise ofthe channels any desired distance and are preferably reduced in height in the direction in which they extend, as best shown in Fig. 8, wherein it will be seen vthat the riiHes gradually taper downwardly toward the floor portion of the channels until they entirely disappear,and these riffles may be. formed by extending the upright wall 25 ofV-each'channel upwardly beyond. the adj acent'floor portion, as will be apparent from As above indicatedaanother feature of the presentinvention residescin the arrangement whereby the channels extend across-thepath of deck movement inlaidirection to cause the concentrates within apchannel to work This is accomplished, in the construction shownin'l igs, 1 to 4 inclusive, by mounting the decklrO upon itscarriage 1'1 so that the channels 23 slope downwardly across the path Jofdeck movement as they extend from the material receiving-end towards, the discharge end of the vdeck. vThis willbe ap parent from Fig. I wherein the broken ,line a-a indicates the path of deck movement, and the line Z -Z) indicatesthe inclination of the channels 23 with respect to the deck movement, and it will be seen that the line =Z)b crosses the linev a a. formed by these two lines may be made as great as desired, but a very slight angle will he sufiicient toqcaus-e the movement impart-ed to the deck-to gradually work the materials in the channelsaway from the discharge side thjereot, and back towards the upstanding wall. 25 ofthe channels," As above pointed out,'th-e tendency of the materials within a channel to work away from the discharge side thereof maybe increased by sloping the floor portion 24 of eachchannelqso that the materials \Vlll';lTGIlCl to slide across the floor portion away from the discharge side of the channels. H l i'. g l j As a reeultof the deck construction dee scribed it will b-e seenithat as .the materials travel lengthwiseof the deck within a channel 23i the concentrates will gradually work down towards the bottom of acha'nnel. i This will-force the tailings upwardly, and since the size of each channel gradually decreases as it approachesthe discharge end bruit deck, the tailings within the channel. will be gradually crowded out of'th-e channel to flow The angle overthe side thereof towards the lower side ofthe deck. In this manner the tailings are, forced out of the channels very efiectively, and as a result each channel acts as an individual concentrator, while the concentratev clined deck until they are discharged from the lower side thereof over the discharge board 3l while the concentrates will be delivered-by the channels to the hopper 32 at the end of the deck.

The material receiving spaces 26 lying between the channels near the dischargeend .of' the deck donot constitute waste or useless spaces; but: they help to. vefiiect the separating operation. This is due to the fact that the time values which may work out of achannel' onto an inclined surface 26 will move transversely of such surface towards,

the next channel below much more slowly than with the larger tailiings which may, workout-eta channel. onto: said surface. It

: will therefore be seen that since large particles tend to roll or slide along an inclined surfacemuch more rapidly than do. fine dust like particles, the inclinedsurfaces 26. will help. to. promote the separation of the values.

fromthe tailings in themanner just pointed out.

" The. deck supporting. carriage. 11 may be v supported in a horizontal'plane asshown, or,

" in. which. thematerials travel over thedeck In some cases/it may be desirable i'ftdesired, it may be inclined in the directi-on of its length so that it will slopeeither downwardly or upwardly'in the-direction surface. to impart. a slightup-hill slope to the entire deck surface in, the. direction in; which the materials travel over the same, whilev in. other casesit'may-bedesirable to impart a down-hill slope; to. the deck towards-its discharge end topromote the travel: of the materialsilengthwise ofthe deck; Any suitable. operatin-gmeans may be employed for '7 imparting a: progressive movement to the deck, and the means shown to this end con sists, of an operating cable 33, an interline di atejportfon of which. is secured to the uniderface of thecarriagejll by the clamping blocks. 34. One end portion of. the cable 33 lit) extends. around a. grooved idle sheave, 35

which is rotatablysupported by the shaft.

36, and this portion of the cable extends downwardly from the sheave 35 and has its end secured to a coiled spring 37 the arrangement being such. that the tension of the spring-37vvill act, upon the cableto con"- tin-uously urge the'decki in a right-hand dis toward the other as desired.

rection viewing Fig. 2. The, opposite end' portion of the cable 33 is. led, around a.

grooved idle sheave 38, and passes from the. lower side of: this idle sheave about ascoond grooved-sheave 39. The sheave 39 is mounted upon the. eccentric 40: which is rig idly secured to the driving shaft '41. The; 7

portion of the cable lastimentionedis led from the lower portion of the sheave 39 to, a bolt or the like 42, which is anchored to] The arrange the deck supporting frame. ment. just describedis such that asthe eecentric 4O isfrotated by its power Shaft within the sheave 39 it=will move this. sheave inan orbital path alternately to tension and slack off the portion of the cablev looped about the. sheave 39. This will serveto positivelypull the deck 10 in; a left-hand direction and thenrelease it to move infla,

rightehand direction under the: action of the spring 37, and by varying the tension ofthe;

spring the. progressive movement imparted to the deck by the operating means just described sired.

In the niodified construction shown in,

Figs, 5 and 6, the concentrator deck 43 is secured to the deck supporting carriage 44 by hinges 45 which are disposedj diagonally of the carriage. This arrangement is desirable: 111 some constructlons because as the deck 43;

is rocked about its hinges 45t0 vary the traverseslope of the deck the rocking movement will serve also to elevate the discharge end of the deck with respect tothematerial maybe made as energetidasde receiving end thereof. [As a resultof the construction shown in Fig. 5,.adjustment of the deckiabout the hinges justimentioned will serve to vary thfltlElIlSVeISt-J inclination of the deck, and also the, longitudinal inclination ofj-the same. Thematerials-tabs treated are supplied to the deck 43 by the feed hopper 43 and the'rjate at which the materials are delivered to the deck from-the.

feed; hoppr maybe. controlled by; adjusting thegate43lg,

In the construction shown in Figs, 5 and 6, the channels ,orf material recei-ving guideways are formed upon the deck by simply providing the upstanding riffies 46. extend ing over the deck surface 47,.and these" riffies may have the-sameheight throughout their length, or they may taper from; one end The rifl'les 46 terminate along the concentrate wall 48; in the usual; manner as shown,

p In the construction shown in Fig. the

deck is given the. same configuration asv in Fig. 5, and is provided with the diagonally disposed hinges 45 but, in Fig. 7: the Chan-- nels-v4 9 are formed with an upstanding wall,

50 and a floor portion 5.1 much the same as Theechannels. of F1gsp7 and '91 in Fig. 1. however do not decrease, inv widthethey approach the dischargeend of thei dec'k, and

ill

in-order to force out of the channels the lighter materials lying above the concentrates within the channels, the adjustable shearing blades 52 may be provided which are held in the desired position of angular adjustment within a channel by the pivot pins 53. Each channel 49 may be provided with as many shearing blades 52 as is deemed advisable, and these blades may be adjusted to different angles with respect to an edge of the channel to thereby increase or decrease the amount of materials that are directed out of the channel by each blade 52.-

and it will be noted that the channels 19 slope downwardly across the movement line 'a-a at a greater angle in the modified construction than in the Construction shown in Fig. 1.

struction of Fig. 7 will act more forcibly than in the constructlon shown in Fig. 1 t'o workthe materials across the channels away The r1ffrom the discharge side thereof. fies 46 of Fig. 5 extend downwardly across the path of deck movement the same as in Fig. 7 so "that in all embodiments of the invention shown the movement imparted, to the deck is in adirection to work the concentrates backfrom the discharge side of the channels, to therebyreduce the tendency of the concentrates to escape laterally over the side of a channel with the tailings.

' In many cases it will be desirable to employ air under pressure to promote the separation of the materials, andto this end the apertures-55 may be provided within each channel near the feed end of the deck, as shown in Fig. 8, or the apertures may extend lengthwise of-a channel'throughout a substantialfdistance, as shown in Fig. 9, but when the apertures extend lengthwise of the channel as'shown'in Fig.9 they should de crease in number asthey approach the dis charge end of the deck as shown.

If desired a deck, embodying the features of the present invention, may be formed of wood, as shown in" Fig. 10, wherein the chan' nels 56 are cut in the upper surface of the.

wooden deck. The floor portions 57 of the channels shown in this figure, it should be noted, lie approximately horizontal instead of sloping away from the discharge side of. the channel, as in the construction shown in Figs. '1 and 9. It is therefore desirable,

'in the construction of Fig. 10, to provide each channel 56 with a. rifile 58 extending It will therefore be seen that the progressive movement imparted to the conthroughout the entire length of the channel to retainthe materials in the channel.

In some constructions it may be desirable to screen the tailings as they pass OK the deck over the discharge board 81, in which case it may be founddesirable to secure an apertured screen 59 adjacent the lower side ofthe deck 10 so that the screen 59 will be deck mounted upon the frame forvibratory movement and having a deck surfacethat is I supported at a transverse inclination and provided with material receiving channels that slope downwardly across the path ofvdeck movement and each channel being provided with air apertures for the passage of air upwardly through the materials in the channels, a stepped concentrate wall extending along the upper side of thedeck and arranged at an ,inclination-to-the channelsand to the lower side of'the deck so that the channels terminate along the concentrate,

wall, said channels being constructed so that they gradually decrease in. width and in' depth as they approach the concentrate wall and arranged to provide material receiving surfaces between the channels having. the.

general transverse inclination of the deck surface and which serve to retardthe flow ofthe fine values from one channel to the next, and means for vibrating thedeck back and forth alonga path that crosses the channels in a direction to work the concentrates away from the discharge side of the chan nels. v r

' 2. A dry concentrator deck, comprising in combination, a deck supporting frame; a deck mounted upon the frame for vibratory movement and having a "deck surface that. is supported at a transverse inclination and.

provided with material receiving channels that slope downwardly across the path of deck movement-and each channel being provided with air apertures for the passage of air upwardly through the materials in the channels, a stepped concentrate wall extending along the upper side of the deck and arranged at an inclinationto the channels and to the lower side of' the deck so that the channels terminate along the concentrate wall and direct the concentrates against the wall for retreatment, said channels being constructed so that they'gradually decrease,

in width as they approach the concentrate wall and arranged to provide material receiving surfaces between the channels which increase in width toward the discharge end of the deck and which serve to retard the flow of the fine values from one channel to the next, and means for moving the deck back and forth along a path that crosses the channels in a direction to work the concentrates away from the discharge side of the channels.

it. A concentrator deck, comprising in combination, a deck surface that is supported at a transverse inclination and provided with material receiving channels that extend lengthwise of the deck, a concentrate wall extending along the upper side of the deck and arranged at an inclination to the channels and to the lower side of the deck so that the channels terminate along the concentrate wall and direct the concentrates against this wall for retreatment, said channels being constructed so that they gradually decrease in widthand in depth as they approach the dischargeend of the deck, and tapered riflles formed along the channels adjacent the material receiving end of the deck and adapted to prevent the materials from flowing transversely of the deck.

4. A dry concentrator deck, comprising in combination, a deck supporting frame, a

deck movement, a stepped concentrate wall extending along the upper side of the deck and arranged at an inclination to thechannels and to the lower side of thedeck so that the channels terminate along the concentrate wall, said channels being constructed so that they gradually decrease in width and in depth as they approach the concentrate wall and arranged to provide material receiving surfaces between the channels having the general transverse inclination of the deck surfaceand which serve to retard the flow of the fine values from one channel to the next, and meansfor vibrating the deck'back and forth along a path that crosses the channels in a direction to work the concentrates away from the discharge side of the chan nels.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my it name to this specification.

ALBERT'H. STEBBINS. 

